Welcome, I am so excited to meet you.
At Trust Your Gut, Inc…
Our vision is for every child to experience what it means to be and to have a friend through daily practices of movement, mediation, nutrition and play.
Our mission is to support children and adolescents in embracing their whole selves through proactive, heart-centered well-being services.
Our goal is to plant heart-centered seeds within as many children as we can. We strive towards creating systemic change that offers a world committed to treating self and others with care.
Meet our amazing team.
We are a team of change-makers, offering a safe space at the individual, family, and small-group level. Our programs inspire children and adolescents to love themselves and embrace feel-good habits in a community built upon creativity, friendship, acceptance, curiosity, and love.
Laura Genese
A forever optimist and silver lining seeker, Laura (she/her/hers) goes with the flow to guide herself and others toward what makes their hearts happy through empowerment, creative arts, and yoga.
Laura received her 200-hr YTT from Jacqui Bonwell’s Sacred Seeds in 2016. She also received her Children’s Yoga Certification from ChildLight Yoga, Pranayama & Meditation Certification from ShivaShakti School of Yoga, and Reiki 1 Certification, all in 2017. In 2022, Laura has added Stress Reduction for Teens through Mindfulness and is Reiki II certified!
Following her heart 5 years ago, Laura left the hustle and bustle of the NYC ad agency world to move back home to Maine to raise her family where she grew-up, and advocate for women and girls in the non-profit sector.
Laura is also the Marketing and Communications Director for Girl Scouts of Maine, and is grateful to balance that with her passion for yoga and meditation, empowering Gen Z, and all things creative through her work with Trust Your Gut.
Christina Bard
A curriculum-building mastermind, Christina and our youngest friends spend joyful time in the woods with our nature-based, curiosity-led seasonal workshops.
Christina is an early childhood educator with a special education background. She has a passion for inviting play through literature, seasonal invitations, and the outdoors; as well as creating opportunities for children of all abilities to have the opportunity to play alongside one another in a safe and nurturing environment.
Searching for a way to include all aspects of the developing child, Christina trusted her gut and created a curriculum that focuses on social emotional development, while allowing ample space for gross and fine motor skill building.
Another passion project, Christina provides family and parent consulting with her organization Planting Seeds of Change, LLC.
When she is not thinking about how to nurture our children’s growth (which rarely happens!), you’ll find Christina exploring the beauty of Maine with her new husband.
Kate Whitescarver
With Kate (she/her/hers), we are up-leveling our DNA, regulating our gut health and reducing inflammation within our bodies with clinically-proven, patent-protected biohacking products.
Kate has been on a life-long mission to learn and educate on mental health and nutrition. She craves to help. Nothing fills she cup higher than when she is invited to walk alongside a journey to fulfill potential. She has her Bachelors in Child Psychology and a Masters in Community Mental Health Counseling and spent the last decade working within the mental health system.
A cheerleader to her core, Kate needed to shift her focus. When asked why she entered the world of MLM’s Kate stated, “this is about listening to your body and engaging with systemic change. It is about offering proactive tools, vs reactive measures.”
When not spending time with her family and new puppy in her favorite place (the kitchen!), Kate offers reiki to a local and virtual community. Her cup is full.